Saudi Arabia has promised to help push Muay Thai to become an Olympic sport, Thai officials said yesterday.
Prince Fahad Bin Jalawi Al Saud, vice president and secretary general of the Saudi Arabian Olympic Committee, presided over the opening of the National Sports Development Fund (NSDF) headquarters in Bangkok yesterday.
According to NSDF manager Supranee Couptasa, the prince vowed to promote Muay Thai on the international stage to enhance its chances of making its Olympic debut.
"Prince Fahad likes Muay Thai and intends to help promote the Thai heritage and push it to become an Olympic sport," Supranee said.
Also attending the event was Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT) governor Gongsak Yodmani.
The prince is in town to watch the Thomas Cup and Uber Cup badminton tournament.
While Thai officials believe that Muay Thai is close to be included in the Olympic programme, some observers say it is still a long way to go.
Earlier yesterday, Prince Fahad met Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon, who is also president of the National Olympic Committee of Thailand (NOCT), at Government House.
The meeting was aimed at strengthening bilateral sporting relations.
Prawit praised the prince for his role in sports including pushing his country to earn the rights to host the 2034 Asian Games.
Also present at the function was International Olympic Committee (IOC) member Patama Leeswadtrakul.
Saudi Arabia and Thailand agreed to restore their diplomatic ties earlier this year. The two countries established their ties in 1957 but their relations turned sour in the 1990s due to certain events.